Weirdest dilemma ever...

Post by **bclaire** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 3:49 am

So the Joe Strummer Tele that fat controller posted in his thread ended up on my door yesterday... Gary's Guitars ended up calling me and saying that the other guy backed out. So I jumped on it for that price.

What a great guitar right out of the box! The Strummer's are based on his '66 Telecaster, and the neck profile is perfect. It's totally identical to the profile of my real '66 Stratocaster. I'm amazed at the quality of the build of the neck, and the rest of the guitar is pretty sweet, too. It's very lightweight... but sustains without being plugged into an amp like you wouldn't believe.

But...clean it up? Help!

... I've bought guitars before that were used and in need of care- like rusted saddles, tarnish, etc.- that I've taken apart and done a great job of cleaning up and getting back to as close to original as possible. So here's the dilemma: the tarnish on the metal parts is killing me- I just want to use metal polish and clean up the bridge, saddles, bridge pickup cover, knobs, control plate. What do you do with a relic'd guitar? Do you keep it as close to tarnished? Do you clean it up? Help! This is driving me nuts!

Oh, and it sounds really good, too, although I will eventually replace the bridge pickup with a Fralin.

SimpleTone · Post by **SimpleTone** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 5:01 am

Very nice. One thing missing....pics.

Love to see it.

JXG · Post by **JXG** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 8:55 am

I polished off the VOS crap on my R7, but thats a different deal as it's some kind of coating they put on the hardware. I'd probably make sure the screws aren't seized and the heads pretty clean, then use a dry soft cloth on the rest, no polish or anything. Just my opinion of course.

Orphin · Post by **Orphin** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 10:05 am

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by SimpleTone
 Very nice. One thing missing....pics.

Love to see it.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
 
+1

NiallB · Post by **NiallB** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 10:27 am

Yeh, we want pic Billy, you can't just tell us about this great guitar............show us!

Le Chat Noir · Post by **Le Chat Noir** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 10:55 am

Buying a relic and then cleaning it up - what a strange concept, Billy!

Surely the rust and such is the 'appeal' of this instrument?

Oh, I was wondering - do they soak it in a mix of liquid tobacco and urine to get the smell authentic too? ;D Now THAT would be punk

Dopp238 · Post by **Dopp238** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 11:11 am

I think that you need to find that line between "GOOD" tarnish, and "ALL" tarnish... if that makes any sense. You still want that relic look, but you don't want the whole thing rusted out because then it looks like you just didn't take care of it.

I say, clean it up as best you can, but don't break out the big guns... leave a little to keep that relic look.

Le Chat Noir · Post by **Le Chat Noir** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 11:25 am

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Dopp238
 you don't want the whole thing rusted out because then it looks like you just didn't take care of it.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Isn't that the POINT of a tribute model though? If Joe didn't care for his guitar, cleaning up his tribute model will have him turning in his grave!!

Post by **bclaire** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 11:40 am

I'll get some pictures in a little while...

I really love the neck, but in answer to the smell and funk, the neck fingerboard has a funky smell, but I think it's whatever stain they must have used to make the fingerboard darker. I'm going to clean and lemon oil it when I restring it...

Tango · Post by **Tango** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 11:48 am

Congrats Billy! Great guitar! though I can see you dilemma with the tarnish. It would drive me nuts, but it is supposed to look like that. I'd love one, but I would leave it as it is, just 'cause it's Joe's.

Pics!!!!!:D

Frank H · Post by **Frank H** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 12:06 pm

Hey everyone, I got to play this guitar last night. AWESOME! This is one non Gibson guitar that i would concider getting. GREAT NECK. I wouldn't do a thing to it except give it a bit more of a thrashing. C'Mon Billy, You've got 100 other guitars that you can baby. Let the Joe Strummer tele be a Joe Strummer tele!

Dopp238 · Post by **Dopp238** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 12:19 pm

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Le Chat Noir
 <blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Dopp238
 you don't want the whole thing rusted out because then it looks like you just didn't take care of it.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Isn't that the POINT of a tribute model though? If Joe didn't care for his guitar, cleaning up his tribute model will have him turning in his grave!!

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Okay okay... I guess when you say it like that

I'm going to be a sheep and go with the crowd, so my new suggestion is this...

1. Take off all your hardware
2. Throw them in the bathtub
3. Take them out and let 'em sit until they're dry
4. Repeat until you can no longer see your reflection

I keed, I keed! But I see no problem with just letting it be tarnished, as long as it plays like a dream, that's what matters. Plus it does look like it's been "loved" on for years... which is always sweet looking.

Tango · Post by **Tango** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 12:46 pm

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Frank H
 Hey everyone, I got to play this guitar last night. AWESOME! This is one non Gibson guitar that i would concider getting. GREAT NECK. I wouldn't do a thing to it except give it a bit more of a thrashing. C'Mon Billy, You've got 100 other guitars that you can baby. Let the Joe Strummer tele be a Joe Strummer tele!
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I really have to agree with Frank here. And please don't swap out the pick up, it's how Joe intended.

Frank H · Post by **Frank H** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 1:46 pm

It mey be a lost cause Rachel. Out of the million guitars Billy owns, I don't think there's a single one that he hasn't messed with. Will be a shame to mess with this one though. YOU READIN THIS BILL???

Post by **bclaire** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 3:45 pm

Weirdest dilemma ever...

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